Trial By Error
by nuclearXsquid
Summary: Ari is an outcast at the temple. When she is kidnapped by Sith, she is forced to bend to their will. Is there any hope of returning to her old life, or is the new one just too persistent?
1. Chapter 1

**I decided to rewrite my story, Daughter of a Jedi. I think that the first couple of chapters were painfully bland, and that turned many people off... so one night I couldn't sleep, so I rewrote what I had published so far. And (in my opinion) it turned out to be better then it was before.**

**And Ari herself was painfully bland, and it annoyed me how none of my characters had any personality. So, anyways, I'm working to change it. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Any recognizable characters are, unfortunately, not mine. I can only boast that I own both Ari and Egan... but, sadly, no one else.**

* * *

Trial By Error

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Jedi Master Mace Windu watched the Lightsaber competition from his seat next to Master Yoda. First the youngest children went, though they weren't particularly interesting matches. Then, age groups inclined progressively.

It was then announced that the twelve and up group was next. Padawan-less Masters sat a little straighter. This was the group that most Masters would be looking at. And all the children were sure to put on a spectacular performance, wanting to impress the Masters.

The first match began. A boy and a girl battled, the boy winning, but not by much. The girl looked a little disappointed – who couldn't be? - but held her head high as she walked out of the arena.

The next match was better then the first. Both boys were evenly matched and had a fair fight, the second only winning when the first grew tired and made a careless mistake.

The next match was the one Mace Windu wanted to see the most out of this age group. It was a boy against a girl, Ari.

**-Flashback-**

_A small girl, no older then two, looked up at Mace with wide, trusting, green eyes. He stooped down on one knee so he matched her height. She grasped her caretaker's skirt with one hand, and in the other, she held a small, hand-sewn doll._

"_Hello," he greeted the child and the woman she stood next to. "My name is Master Windu. I'm here to take Ari to the temple and to her father." He spoke kindly._

_Of the words he had spoken, one registered greater than the others. "Daddy?" she asked, blinking._

_Mace Windu nodded. "Yes, he is at the temple."_

_The girl looked up at her caretaker. The woman nodded, prying the child's hand off her skirt. "Go with this kind man, child. You will be able to see your Daddy," she said, giving the small girl a slight push towards the man._

_The girl hesitated before taking the large brown hand in her own. "Okay," she replied simply, looking at him._

"_One thing," the woman said, stopping the girl. The girl turned expectantly. "Be safe." The woman whispered, holding back tears. "Dear little Ari, be safe." Ari nodded, letting go of Mace's hand to hug the woman's knee. She turned back to Mace, putting her small hand once again in his rough one._

_The small girl looked back only once, waving with her doll to the woman who had raised her. Ari turned back to the ship, and bravely entered it, trusting the man to take her to where her father was._

**-End Flashback-**

Ari had changed a lot since then. She, of course, had gotten taller, her brown hair was cut short into a bob, and she wielded her lightsaber well for someone her age.

But Mace worried for her. Not many Master's would want to take her as a Padawan. She was the daughter of Master Qui-Gon Jinn. Though he was famous for his skill and defiance of the counsel, Jedi were forbidden to have attachments. Ari was the product of a secret love affair between him and Knight Tahl, who was now dead.

Not many Masters would want her as a Padawan. Most viewed her as a mistake, and not someone worthy of becoming a Jedi.

Qui-Gon would have gladly taken her as an apprentice, but he already had a fifteen-year-old apprentice, Egan. Qui-Gon's previous Padawan, Obi-Wan, was currently away on a mission, but it was rumored he was thinking about taking on a Padawan.

Mace stared as the two lightsabers clashed. Ari's yellow blade against that of her opponent's blue blade, creating the illusion of green.

A couple of minutes into the match, Ari was victorious. Though she had been the quickest to win, it had not changed the opinions of the other Masters.

Five more matches came and went, and then it was the finals. Ari, having won both of hers, was up against the other finalist.

The two Padawan-hopefuls circled each other, waiting for the other to strike. Her opponent got tired of waiting and struck first, only to be blocked by Ari. They exchanged many blows, neither gaining the upper hand.

Mace's eyes began to travel through the spectators. He noticed quite a few Master's there, along with Qui-Gon.

A shout of frustration brought Mace's attention back to the fight. Ari had gotten through her opponent's defenses.

Ari won the match, but still, Mace could sense no sudden feelings through any of the Masters that they were even considering taking Ari on. Some already had their hearts set on a Padawan, others would wait for a while.

The tournament then went on to Padawans, Qui-Gon's Padawan, Egan, placed rather high, though not at the top. The Senior Padawans were after, and though those were the best, they went quickly since most of them were off-world on missions with their Masters.

When the tournament was over, the Masters stood up, and Mace, like everyone else, filed out of the arena.

* * *

Ari was pleased with herself. Hopefully her performance had convinced some of the Master's to consider her as their Padawan. She knew her background, and therefore, knew that her hope was unlikely.

She would turn thirteen in a little under a fortnight, and she dreaded it. If no Master chose her, then she would be sent to AgriCorps, or someplace far worse. That would be so disappointing.

Ari lay down on her sleep couch. Thankfully, she was able to sleep, though it had begun to rain outside.

**-Dream Sequence-**

_She was running from a billowing cloud of… darkness. Her legs felt like lead, though she knew she had to get away from the cloud before it reached her._

_There was nothing she could do. Soon, it enveloped her, and she saw nothing but blackness. Then suddenly, her father was in front of her. "Father!" she said, trying to run towards him. But his lightsaber was drawn. _

_And pointed At Ari. _

_She recoiled at the look of fury and disgust written upon his face. Snarling, he swung his lightsaber. Ari ducked out of the way, feeling tears running down her cheeks. "Father? What's going on?" she cried._

_He said nothing, but swung at her with all his might with the lethal sword. She cried out as it burned her arm. _

_She was against a cliff, not able to back up any further. She knew she had to defend herself somehow. She reached for her lightsaber, not wanting to hurt the one man who she was really able to connect to. The man who she owed her very existence. He swung again for the killing blow. Ari knew it would reach it's mark, but she was able to get her blade up in time._

_Her _red_ blade._

**-End Dream Sequence-**

Ari jolted awake, breathing hard, the dream still playing across her consciousness. Rubbing the sweat from her eyes, she got up and went into the 'freshener.

While in there, she splashed cool water on her face and looked in the mirror.

Dark circles hung heavy below her eyes. She wanted nothing more then to go to sleep, but her brain wouldn't let her. It was on hyper drive.

Instead, she sneaked into the hall, and took a walk. The hallways were dark and she met no one, but it gave her an eerie sense of peace and tranquility. She didn't pay any attention to where she was going, and found herself in the Room of a Thousand Fountains.

There she sat down and began meditating, pondering nothing, and releasing what panic she had felt from her dream into the force.

Something touched on the edge of her mind, bringing her out of her meditation. Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi stood there.

"I apologize for disturbing you, may I join you?" Obi-Wan spoke through the silence.

"It's okay," she said, dipping her head in respect. "You may."

"Thank you," he said. "You couldn't sleep either?"

Ari couldn't decided whether or not to tell him of her nightmares. He might be able to offer advice – he was her Father's Padawan, after all – but she hardly knew him. They were on friendly terms, but Ari rarely spoke with him.

"Yes," she said. "I haven't seen you around the temple much. Have you been away long?"

The twenty-six year old sat down across from Ari. "Yes. I was on a mission in the Alderaan system for almost two months now. I returned an hour ago. It was a shame I couldn't see the sparring tournament, though, I heard you won." He said, smiling.

Ari nodded. "Yes."

"That's really good. Master Qui-Gon must have been proud."

Ari nodded again. "He was, though I only got to talk to him for a few minutes."

They continued to talk until rays of sunlight began to creep through the tall buildings and into the temple.

"I better be getting back to my room," Ari said, standing up.

"Yes, it was nice talking with you, Ari. Goodnight, erm, well, morning, actually."

Ari laughed. "Yes. Good Morning to you as well."

With a quick smile, she turned and disappeared through the halls.

* * *

**Well... that went better then I planned.**

**Although, it seemed to me, that it seemed Obi-Wan and Ari were flirting. This, I swear, was unintentional. I would never in a million years make an Obi-Wan pairing. Just... idk... I like him too much to make him like someone...**

**An anyways. They're thirteen years apart. Ew.**

**I hope some people will like this new version better... for everyone else, goodnight!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I am glad I've gotten at least one review, even though it's one of my best friends, and she reviews everything, no matter what... But she said it was so much better then my old one... so that's good, I trust her opinion... for the most part**

**Disclaimer: The day I own Star Wars will be the day pigs fly...**

**It's pretty late, but I promised to get this out for my friend's birthday, well... one day late... sorry!!**

* * *

Trial By Error

**Chapter 2**

* * *

**-Flashback-**

**Obi-Wan wandered about the temple for some time, not really needing to be anywhere, but detested the thought of returning to his quarters. Instead, he wandered about the halls, passing small children and Jedi Masters who had risen to get an early start on the day.**

**Obi-Wan's mind traveled to Ari. Could he take her on as a Padawan? Was he ready? He wished he could talk to his former master, but was unsure of how to go about doing it.**

**When Obi-Wan had been knighted, Qui-Gon had promised to always be there for him if he needed anything at all, and they had stayed close friends, atypical of most Master-Padawan relationships. They would grow apart over the years, always being away on some mission. Not that it had been long since Obi-Wan's knighting. It had only been a little over a year.**

**Obi-Wan wasn't paying attention to where he was walking, and found himself back in the Room of a Thousand Fountains.**

"**Sleep well, you did not." Yoda said, tapping Obi-Wan in the back of the shins with his Gimer Stick.**

"**No, Master Yoda."**

"**Something on your mind, is there?"**

"**Yes."**

"**Come sit, and we'll talk." Yoda sat down right where he stood, Obi-Wan following his lead. "Now, speak."**

**Obi-Wan nodded. "Master Yoda, I've heard the comments Jedi Masters and Knights make about Ari Jinn. They don't want to train her because they think she's a disgrace. I'm worried they don't see her potential and won't accept her."**

**Yoda nodded. "Train her, you want to?"**

**Obi-Wan looked at the small Master. "Yes. Am I really that easy to read?"**

"**Hmpf. Easy to read, anyone is. Look in the right places, you must, hmm? What does young Ari say about this?"**

"**I haven't talked to her yet. Do you think it's a good idea, Master?"**

**Yoda whacked Obi-Wan's shins with his stick. "Hmpf. Receive input from me, you will not. Make your own choices, you must."**

"**Yes, Master." Obi-Wan said, wincing.**

**-----**

**Ari went into class half asleep. Why was it when she was supposed to sleep, she couldn't, but when she needed to be awake, she was suddenly tired? It made no sense.**

**Five minutes into class, her mind was drifting away. With only few precious days until her birthday, she needed to convince and Padawan-less Master of Ari's worth.**

**Some time later, Knight Kenobi entered the classroom, apologizing for the interruption and asking for Ari.**

**Ari felt all her classmates eyes on her. She met all of them as she walked out of the room.**

**She bowed to Obi-Wan. "Knight Kenobi."**

**Obi-Wan began walking and motioned for Ari to follow him. "Ari," he said after some time. "I know your birthday is coming up, and I've talked to Master Yoda. I would like to know if you would have any intrest in becoming my Padawan."**

**Ari felt like a heavy weight had lifted from her. She supressed the urge to smile widely, instead only smiling a tiny bit. "Of-" she caught herself before saying 'of course,' that would be pretty disrespectful. "I would be honored to be taken as your Padawan Learner."**

**Obi-Wan nodded. "And I would be honored to take you on as an apprentice." Ari bowed in thanks. "You may return to class. After your lunch break, come straight to the counsel chambers, where we can make this official."**

**Ari couldn't believe it. It was amazing. It was a miracle. It was her dream.**

**Only when walking away, did she allow herself to grin like an idiot.**

**-End Flashback-**

It had been two years since that day. Ari was approaching her fifteenth birthday, and would be away on a mission. Not the most fun thing ever, but more fun then last years, when they were stranded on a rather gaseous planet while waiting for help to arrive.

Their mission was simple. Investigate the assassination attempt on the Queen of Alderaan's life. Simple, yet time consuming, depending on how much evidence was left behind.

Ari had asked why the local law enforcement didn't just investigate it themselves, but apparently, they thought there were lightsaber burns on the wall. Which is what they always say when they're too lazy or too dumb to find the culprit themselves.

They had been on the transport for two days already, and it would take at least two more to get to their destination. And it was Ari's birthday. What fun.

She was reading a fictional story on a datapad instead of doing schoolwork, when her master came in. She quickly switched screens to the politics she was supposed to be studying.

Obi-Wan gave her a knowing smile. "I know what you were doing, your thoughts were being broad-casted through our bond. But since it's your birthday, I'll let you get away with it just this once." He smiled more warmly. Ari couldn't help but grin sheepishly.

"Come, Padawan, and we will feast on a glorious birthday dinner for you," he said.

Ari was confused for a moment, then stood up and followed her Master out of her quarters, leaving the datapad behind.

Her birthday dinner ended up being the same tasteless provisions as always, though her Master tried to brighten it up. She eventually let his cheeriness get to her, though she wasn't sure why he was being so happy.

-----

After only two hours of sleeping, Ari was woken up by the comm unit chiming. She heard her Master get up to go listen to it, and couldn't help being curious.

This time making sure her shields were blocking the bond, she crept down the hall, staying in the shadows.

A hologram of Qui-Gon Jinn, Ari's father and Obi-Wan's former master, was speaking. "Obi-Wan, my former Padawan, I have some concerning news for you."

"Go on, Master," Obi-Wan said, his voice a little above a whisper.

"I had a vision today while I was meditating. It was of pain and suffering. The dark side was there. And it revolved around your Padawan, my daughter." Ari felt her heart stop. Never in a million years would she turn to the darkside. How could he see it?

"That's not very comforting, Master," Obi-Wan said, trying to make light of things.

"No, it's not," Qui-Gon agreed. "But I, and the counsel, have felt something in the force. They sense a trap."

"For us?"

"For Ari."

Obi-Wan looked worried. Ari... well, Ari felt like she was going to fall over. A trap for her?

In her worry, her mind shields slipped, alerting Obi-Wan to her presence.

Obi-Wan's head snapped around in Ari's direction, blue eyes landing directly onto her. His piercing gaze held her for what must have seemed like eternity, before he spoke harshly. "Go back to bed, Ari. Now."

His tone told Ari not to even argue. She didn't hear it much, but when something came up, the tone would rival Master Windu's.

"I'm sorry, Master," she said before hurrying down the hall and into her room, where she tried to sleep.

Unable to sleep, her mind wandered to what the trap may have been, or what her father's dream may have been.

These thoughts kept her up until a few hours before the rest of the ship woke up and began it's day, preparing for landing.

* * *

Things had been tense between Ari and her master since he caught her listening in on his comm message. Neither of them spoke about it, but were polite to both each other, the Queen, and her guard.

It had been two days since landing on Alderaan, and Ari hoped things between her Master would get better. She had forgotten about what was said on the message, mostly because she wanted to make herself believe she wasn't even there, and also because her mind was fully concentrated on the mission, and not on anything else.

Ari finished what she was doing and looked up for her Master. He was gone. Worried, she stood up, looking harder. He had been standing there a minute ago, where could he have gone? It worried her, twilight was upon the city, and there was no sign of the Jedi Master.

To her left and right, there was walkways with few people, none of which were her Master. In front of her was a forest that was thick and already dark. She turned around. The palace was in front of her.

Wouldn't Obi-Wan have told her if he was going somewhere? Sure, they hadn't been particularly close the past couple of days, but he wouldn't have abandoned her.

_Master? _She called through the bond, but was blocked, which was weird. Her Master rarely blocked his mind from her that forcefully.

Too preoccupied to pay attention to what was going on, Ari was yanked out of her thoughts by and hand on the back of her tunic.

She tried to turn around to see if it was her Master.

It wasn't. The person holding onto her tunic was a woman. She had hard, blue eyes, blond hair that was tied into a ponytail, and was holding two lightsabers, one being Ari's. Ari didn't recognize the other one. It wasn't her Master's.

Ari began to twist away, something that should have been easy. But something stopped her. The sound of an igniting lightsaber.

A glowing red blade was pressed too close to her neck for comfort, and she could do nothing to fight back as she was drug into the forest.

The woman, who Ari assumed was a Sith from her red blade, dropped Ari abruptly. Raising her crimson lighsaber, she brought it down on Ari's skull, knocking her out with the hilt and singing Ari's hair.

Before Ari fell into blackness, she had one thought:

_Master..._

* * *

**Ah, so well, I'm sorry for being one day late. Both days, I've had a ton of homework. And ick. Usual excuses.**

**Anyways, I hope everyone else enjoyed it. Please review! It makes me want to update faster because I know people are reading it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I love this story so much. I am really glad I decided to rewrite it. It's about a hundred times better now, I think.**

**I'd love to hear your opinions!**

**VSLDT: Since I was one day late, I'm writing another chapter just for you on your almost birthday. I love you, I do.**

**Disclaimer: If only, if only, the fanfiction author cried, I could own them myself, and not have to try. (I apologize for the lame-ness. Haha.)**

* * *

Trial By Error

**Chapter 3

* * *

**

_Master..._

Obi-Wan felt a pleading call break through his shields. He tried to reach his Padawan through their bonds, but was unable to. Scared for her safety, and yelling at himself for ever having left, he took off in the direction of where she should be.

Small signs of a scuffle lead him into the woods, where he came upon a ship. Through the windows, he could see a tall woman, who saluted him before taking off, with Ari on board.

Running back into the open, he headed for the palace, telling the guards that he needed to make an off-planet call immediately. It was hard for Obi-Wan to remain calm, and he regretted the neglect he had exhibited the past couple days.

They led him into a room and left him alone for some privacy. They could sense his distress, though they were not force sensitive.

"Jinn," Qui-Gon said before realizing it was Obi-Wan. "Hello my former Padawan. What can I do for you?"

"I need to speak with the counsel. It's about Ari. But I don't have my commlink and I don't know the counsel's code offhand."

"I am actually leaving them right now. I'll turn around at once." he said, sensing Obi-Wan's anxiety.

"Master Jinn?" Master Windu spoke. Qui-Gon bowed hastily before connecting his small commlink to that of the counsel's rather large one.

"Masters," Obi-Wan greeted them.

"Master Kenobi," Master Windu returned. It seemed everyone could sense the anxiety Obi-Wan was emitting, the counsel could see it on his face.

"My Padawan, Ari Jinn, is gone. I wasn't able to connect to her through our bond, and her shields were stronger then I'd ever seen them. But then a pleading 'Master,' escaped through, and I rushed to where she was, but found a ship taking off. I should never have left her, but the force told me everything was safe." Obi-Wan said in a strained voice.

"Did you notice anything in particular about this ship?" One of the lower counsel members asked.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "It was just a normal, standard space craft. I got a look at who was inside it, though. It was a tall, blond lady, who saluted me before taking off. Ari was on that ship. That, I know."

The members nodded. "No other traces, find you?" Master Yoda spoke up. Obi-Wan shook his head. "Meditate on this I will. Follow the force, you must. Send another Jedi team to complete your investigation, I will, but wait for them to get there, you must."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, Master," he promised.

"May the Force be with you," Master Windu spoke.

"And with you," Obi-Wan replied before cutting off the transmission.

Qui-Gon disconnected his comlink.

"Thank you, Master Jinn. Inform you on anything relevant, we will." Master Yoda said, a clear dismissal.

Once Qui-Gon had left, Master Yoda spoke up. "Good news, this is now. Feel the darkside taking part, I do. Meditate, I must."

Master Windu nodded in agreement. "Counsel adjourned."

The Masters stood and began filing out the door. Only Master Yoda and Master Windu remained.

"Grave news, this is. Sith, I feel, are involved."

"You really think so? If it is true, then our worst nightmare's have been realized. The Sith have returned. Shall we tell the others?"

"Not yet. Wait, we must. Meditate, I must. Believe in Ari, we must. For now, hasty actions will result only in failure." Yoda said. Mace Windu nodded and stood up.

"Then I will go meditate."

"So will I," Yoda said, standing up also. Together, they exited into the now empty corridor.

* * *

Ari woke up with an earsplitting headache. She blinked a few times, but could see little in the dim light.

From feeling around her, she could tell she was shackled to the wall and wore a hideous force inhibitor collar around her neck. She wouldn't be able to get out of it without strangling herself in the process.

She was unsure how long she sat there in the dark. It could have been hours, it could have been days. Her lips were parched and her stomach was clenched painfully from lack of food.

Eventually, some dim lights began to flicker on, and she saw she was pretty much in a steel box. She had no idea if she was still on the ship or on land.

The cell door opened and the Sith – far Ari was sure she was a Sith now – from before walked in.

A wave of the darkside rolled in with the Sith, but Ari was unable to feel it with the collar on. Instead, she just felt extremely cold. She shrunk back against the wall, wanting to stay away from the cold. Not that the metal wall was particularly warm, either.

The Sith smirked at her.

"What's your name, girl?" the Sith hissed. Ari sat a little straighter, a defiant look in her eye.

Ari said nothing and watched as the Sith stalked closer, trying not to let her fear show.

"I said, what's your name?" the Sith hissed, closer this time.

"I heard you the first time," Ari said through gritted teeth.

Ari felt herself be lifted away from the wall as far as the chains would allow – a good two feet – and was slammed against the wall. Ari couldn't tell if one of her ribs had cracked, but still said nothing.

Ari could feel the Sith getting agitated. Maybe being difficult was not the best idea ever. She could feel the Sith gathering strength for another attack, so she whispered, "Ari,"

The Sith smirked. "Last name, too, girl."

Ari felt defeated. She didn't want to be in anymore pain, yet she didn't want to succumb that easily. "Jinn," she whispered, finally giving in.

The Sith's smirk grew. "Ah, so you're the one that was labeled an outcast and the product of an unwanted love affair. I've heard about you."

Ari's eyes grew wide. How did she know that much about Ari? It wasn't possible unless she had been stalked or something.

"You're Master only took you as an apprentice because he felt like he owed your father. He wasn't there to save you cause he didn't want to be. Letting me capture you was a great way to get rid of you. Then he could live his life how he wanted. Taking on a Padawan that he wanted."

"No, that's not true!" Ari denied it.

The Sith laughed. "But who needs the Jedi? We could rule the galaxy. No one would need the Jedi or the senate. Things would run so much smoother."

Ari looked at the Sith with wide eyes when she realized what the Sith was asking. "I'll never join you." Ari spat.

The Sith immediately grew angry. "Have it your way, apprentice," she matched Ari's tone, before reaching her hand out and sending bolts of force-lightning at Ari. Ari cried out in pain, before she felt her head being split open by the Sith's mind probe.

She could feel the Sith rooting through various memories, looking for a weakness.

**Ari stood out on a balcony, silently crying from how mean her classmate had been to her that day. She sported several bruises and a black eye.**

The Sith dug deeper into more memories.

**Obi-Wan's head snapped around in Ari's direction, blue eyes landing directly onto her. His piercing gaze held her for what must have seemed like eternity, before he spoke harshly. "Go back to bed, Ari. Now."**

But the Sith wasn't happy with that. She dug even deeper, into memories Ari had pushed to the back of her mind.

"**I know," her father admitted to a Jedi Master Ari couldn't see from her hiding place. Her shields were jammed up, hopefully they couldn't sense her presence. "It was a mistake. A mistake I payed dearly for, and I regret it. She was a mistake."**

Ari screamed in pain. The mind probe was painful, and it was horrible to not be able to fight back. Still, the probe searched.

It found what it was looking for.

**Ari was lost in an unfamiliar area. Out of nowhere, people began attacking her. She pulled out her lightsaber, but was knocked out first.**

**When she woke up, she was tied to a stake. Burning brush laid around her. The people who attacked her thought her to be some sort of which.**

**She cringed from the flames. She had always hated fire, and now, unable to escape from the fire, and force eluding her, she was unable to do anything as the flames crept closer.**

**They caught her upper left arm first, the fire burning her clothes and hair first. It began to burn her left arm terribly.**

**She hated fire. More then anything else. She felt herself get dizzy from the stench of burned hair, and felt herself pass out as the flames steadily grew.**

That night, maybe a year and a half ago, was terrible. If her Master hadn't of found her, she would have been burnt to ashes. Immediately, she was taken to the temple and put int Bacta. It took a whole for her hair to grow back and her scars to fade, but eventually they did, leaving only a terrible scar covering the length of her left arm.

Ari screamed again as the probe withdrew, even more painful then when it was in her head.

Sort of like when you get blood drawn. The initial prick hurts, and withdrawing the needle hurts, but when it sits in your vein not moving, the pain lessens.

Except the probe was five times worse. It was like a first time nurse with shaking hands and couldn't let the needle rest.

Wanting to make sure the memories were real, the Sith tore fabric from the sleeve of Ari's tunic, baring her left arm and showing off the grotesque scar that adorned it. Ari shrunk back, trying to cover her arm out of instinct.

Satisfied, the Sith smirked and stalked out of the cell, leaving Ari alone with her newly uncovered memories.

* * *

Obi-Wan felt guilty. Maybe if he hadn't of been so harsh on his Padawan, then he wouldn't have let the trap slip his mind. He left her to do her thing when the guards called him, he never guessed what happened could have.

The horrible image of the Sith saluting him replayed over and over in his mind. He tried to think of something else, but everything reminded him of Ari or something that tied in with someone who associated with Ari, therefore replaying the clip of the Sith.

It was terrible, and he swore to find Ari and kill the Sith. Even if he died doing it. He'd do it for his Padawan. No one else.

* * *

**Well, there's chapter three. If it wasn't midnight, I'd make it a bit longer, but I'm about to fall asleep while typing.**

**Hope you liked it, please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm terribly sorry for the wait. Even though we're on break, I'm getting on the computer less and less. I even started another story, which was stupid of me, since I want to finish this one and my other one. Oh, well.**

**I just finished reading Inferno, which is part of the legacy of the force series, and so I got a few ideas from that. Fury is sitting right beside me so when I finish that chapter, I can start on that right away. It only took me a day to read Inferno, but staying up until three in the morning to finish it is quite physically taxing. Anyways...**

**I apologize for the mistakes and spelling errors in the last chapter. I will make a better effort to edit my stories so there's not as much spelling and grammar mistakes.**

**Disclaimer: No recognizable characters are mine in any way, shape, or form.**

**VSLDT:** Haha. Yes, I um... purposely did that to humor you... yep, that's it! Cause you know... I know the exact words you guys are studying all the way from a different high school... Yep! That's it. Lol. Love you

**Breakaway07: **Thanks! Sorry for the wait, I didn't intentionally make it that long. Sorry! And thanks for reviewing!

**And on to the story!!**

* * *

Trial By Error

**Chapter 4**

* * *

The Sith came in the next morning with a cup of water. It surprised Ari, she wasn't sure why, though.

The Sith handed her the cup of water. "Any thought on the proposition I made?"

Ari stopped drinking. "It remains the same as it did..." she thought for a moment, "however long ago it was."

The Sith smirked. "We will see, we will see."

The Sith unlocked Ari's chains, releasing her from the wall. "Have a good..." she caught herself. During an interrogation, you never tell the subject anything about the time. "... Rest. I'll see you in a while."

Ari was left alone, wishing the Sith could have told her how long he spent in the dark cell. Rubbing her wrists to get some blood flowing, she stood up shakily. And then fell over.

She sat with her back to the wall, thinking over what the Sith had said. Why would she want Ari to join her? It made no sense. All she wanted was to be back at the Jedi temple, asleep in her bed.

Sleep. That sounded nice.

Ari painfully laid down and fell into a restless sleep.

**-Dream Sequence-**

_She was tied to the stake again, but instead of fire creeping towards her, it was the darkside rolling in. Not wanting to leave herself vulnerable to it, she turned her face to the side, but the darkness was coming in from all sides._

_She looked at it straight on, but then the darkness took the form of the Sith that was holding her captive._

"_Join me," she said._

"_Join me,"_

_The words were so persuasive, so seductive, that Ari felt herself _wanting _to listen to them. That was what scared her. That she wouldn't be able to fight back when the darkside overcame her._

_And then the apparition was gone and she was standing on the viewing deck of some great battleship._

_Standing next to her was the Sith. "I'm glad you have finally come to you senses, apprentice." The Sith turned and smiled, half her face rotted away._

_Ari screamed._

_Laughing, the Sith reached out to her with her flesh-eaten hand and grasped Ari's scarred arm._

"_Now, now, apprentice, no need to even think about running." she said as Ari struggled to pull free of her grasp. "We have some important company."_

_Ari followed the Sith's gaze in front of her laid the bodies of her father and her master, both with multiple stab wounds in their chests._

_Screaming again, she broke away from the Sith's grasp, running as far away as she could go. She palmed the lift's doors open an caught herself before she stepped into... nothing._

_She grabbed the doorway to keep herself steady and looked into what should be the lift._

_Instead, it was pitch blackness._

_Turning away, she ran over to another doorway, soldiers on her back. He legs seemed to run to slow, as though she was trying to fight her way through peanut butter._

_Forcing the heavy door open, she entered what appeared to be a refresher. She tried to close the doors after her, but the soldiers forced them open._

_Ari backed into a corner, holding up her hands to protect herself as the head soldier lifted his blaster, muzzle trained on Ari's chest, then squeezed the trigger._

_It was not set on stun._

Ari jolted awake from her dream to see the Sith coming into her cell. The dream seemed so real and so life-like, that she couldn't help to think it was a premonition of some sorts.

Her memory flashed back to her father and master lying on the cold hard floor, dead. She hoped with all her being that it was not a premonition. She wouldn't be able to face the Jedi Master's again if it were true.

"I ask you again, apprentice, whether you will join me by choice or will I have to force it upon you?"

Ari looked her right in the eye. "I will _NEVER_ join you."

"Very well. I hoped this would have been easier. Much less pain on your part, but it was your choice. I hope you make it out alive."

Those words chilled Ari as the Sith exited the cell and three guards came in to escort her out.

As she exited her cell, she slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

As soon as the new team landed and Obi-Wan briefed them on what all he had found out, Obi-Wan entered the small craft waiting for him and began his search for his Padawan.

He knew she was not on the planet he had just left, since he saw the small ship taking off. It wouldn't have gotten far very fast, which led him to believe that they were on a orbiting space ship of some kind. Maybe a battleship.

It was as good of a lead to go on as any.

Sending out a quick search signal, Obi-Wan located orbiting ships, large orbiting ships to be exact. He wasn't sure how to narrow it down from that.

_Great big ships controlled by evil Sith who hold my apprentice hostage... yeah right,_ Obi-Wan though to himself. He almost laughed out loud. Almost.

Two dozen ships came up. Omitting the ships that were over so many parsecs away, he narrowed it down to just five ships.

Two were owned by the republic, so that was out of the question, and another one was owned by the trade federation. Obi-Wan knew he shouldn't ignore these ships, that somehow the Sith could have gotten aboard and controlled one of the ships, but it was best to start with the two unmarked ones.

It was just a matter of picking which one to start his search. _Eeny meeny miney mo... okay, so we'll start with the ship in the next system. That works._

Obi-Wan had to smile at that. It had been forever since he had chosen something that way. With the force not helping him choose, what other choice did he have?

Allowing himself a small smile, he took off for the neighboring system.

* * *

Qui-Gon Jinn was not happy with this arrangement. Instead of helping his former Padawan look for Ari, he was stuck on a diplomacy mission.

Egan looked at his master. "We're approaching Naboo, Master."

"Thank you, Padawan."

Soon, they landed in the hangar of the Trade Federation's main control ship. They were escorted into a conference room and told to wait.

"Master... something's not right here..."

"I feel it too, Padawan, be ready for what might happen, though don't be overly cautious to where there's the danger of overlooking what's right in front of your eyes."

"Yes, Master. Not meaning to be disrespectful or anything, but I'm not sure you get it. It's not about our mission. It's about Ari. She's in pain, I can feel it, though her connection to the force is not there."

Qui-Gon thought of this for a while. Even though Egan had two years on Ari, they still were close. And now, could it be, that Egan could feel more then Ari's own father could?

Or maybe Qui-Gon was being too subjective. Maybe convincing himself that she was okay was blinding the fact that she could be in pain. He opened up to the force, allowing it to wash away the assurances he had given himself, and felt a pang. From his daughter. Pain.

But he couldn't feel her in the force. Their bond was blocked off by a force inhibitor of some sort. Still, though, he could feel her pain if he looked hard enough. He realized with sadness, that the Sith was trying to break her.

"Have strength, Ari," he whispered, though Egan could still hear it. "Don't give in."

* * *

Ari felt the whispers of comfort through the shell of pain. For now she was left alone, but who knows when the man would return?

The man in question always came and broke her a little more. Sometimes it would be physical pain, and other times it would be emotional pain.

The last session was the worst. Ari was sure her right wrist and a few ribs were cracked – if not broken.

She slept soundly, no dreams entered her consciousness, thankfully, before she was rudely awakened for her next session.

She barely had time to stand up before a fist connected with her stomach. She dry heaved from the force, but was unable to bring anything up, since there was nothing in her stomach in the first place.

Not for the first time, she wondered how long she had been there.

She was shoved to the floor and she stayed there, not exactly feeling the need to get up. That was, until the man pulled out a whip.

Ari scooted out of the way, but in two steps, he was closer then before. He pulled his hand back and brought it down quickly.

The first strike wasn't so bad, but the next ones came harder and quicker, opening up red welts in her skin. She turned her face away, but doing so left her back exposed, which the man took great pride in cutting up.

It was a while before she made any noise of discomfort. She resolved to not let the man see he was getting to her. She couldn't give him that pleasure.

But as her back was stinging and cut open terribly, it grew harder and harder not to make a sound. The man saw this, and she soon was screaming.

He finished quickly and wiped the blood off the whip. He brought his fingers to his mouth and licked the blood off of them. It disgusted Ari more then anything. He was enjoying it.

Smirking, he left the cell. No lights came on, the cell was always dark. Ari missed the sunlight and was afraid she would never see it again.

She collapsed into a heap on her stomach, keeping the cuts and sliced open skin on her back from touching the dirty floor.

And again, she slept, trying to go into a healing trance, but it still was impossible because of the collar she wore.

* * *

**Woot! Finally this chapter got out! Terribly sorry for the wait!!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yay! Another chapter!**

**Yeah... well... um...**

**Disclaimer: Nothing that anyone would ever say "Look! I know that character!" is mine, sadly. It all begins to the amazing person titled George Lucas.**

**Anyways...**

* * *

Trial By Error

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Ari hurt everywhere. Nothing could be compared to the pain that she had felt a couple on minutes ago. Many more bones in her body were broken and her back was inflamed and raw.

And then he came. With a syringe. There was nothing she could do as he ejected the contents into her arm.

A minute later, the burning started. It was as if her insides were on fire. She hated fire, and it was the only thing she could feel. It was beyond pain.

Ari writhed on the floor, and many of the closing cuts on her back split open again. It was pain beyond anything else.

"K-kill m-me now..." she rasped, her throat dry. He laughed. "Do it."

He stopped laughing and looked at her seriously. "Okay,"

He grasped Ari's head by her hair and hit it on the wall. Hard. White stars appeared. But, she didn't pass out or die. He repeated the gesture and all she got was a splitting headache and more stars.

Then he half lifted her in the air, and brought her down head-first on the floor. Hard.

Finally, the white stars shot past her vision bringing in the darkness and the much welcomed peace. Before she sunk into unconsciousness, Ari wondered if the man had killed her.

Maybe then could Ari finally be at peace.

* * *

She Sith entered the hospital ward, heading for the bed in which her new apprentice laid.

She smoothed back the apprentice's hair and demanded a damage report from the doctor.

"She appears to have her left wrist snapped, her right one fractured. We counted a total of five ribs both broken and cracked, and one came in a punctured her lung, but we were able to pull her through surgery. She's suffering horrible wounds to her back, they will scar, and so will the cut on her right cheek and where the force collar was around her neck. The wounds on her back were inflamed from infection, but we drove it off to the best of our abilities.

"Part of her skull is fractured and her liver is suffering damage, but how bad, we aren't sure. Three of her fingers were snapped. The one on her right hand was fine to reset, but she has lost control of her pinky and ring finger on her left hand. And because of terrible bruising on her stomach, we had to operate again. Her leg was broken, but that was fine to reset.

"On top of all these injuries, she suffers from blood loss, dehydration, and undernourishment. It was a wonder she survived through that, but she will live," the doctor concluded.

"Good," the Sith said. "Anything else?"

"Um," the doctor looked a bit uncomfortable. "Because of her various head wounds, she may be suffering amnesia. At this point we can't determine if it will be permanent or just temporary."

The Sith nodded, dismissing the doctor. They left them alone.

She hoped her apprentice would wake up soon. She was terribly worried, after all.

* * *

Obi-Wan approached the second ship after the first had been negative for any signs of the Sith or of Ari. He hoped he would find her soon.

Then, he felt something terrible happen. Her force signature winked out.

Ari was dead.

But not what some Masters had described when feeling their Padawan's die. They felt the bond ripped away. As far as Obi-Wan could tell, she was still alive, but her force signature was just... gone.

Unsure of what to think, he headed for the second ship, hoping to find his Padawan.

* * *

Sitting in the counsel chambers, Yoda felt the flicker in young Ari's force presence. He feared the worst. Not that she was dead, but had somehow changed into something the Sith could meld.

His ears drooped in sadness.

* * *

On Naboo, both Qui-Gon and Egan felt the flicker, too.

Qui-Gon collapsed into a chair and Egan soon followed. "She's-" Egan started to say, but was cut off by gas entering the conference room they still sat in.

The Trade Federation had gone to far.

Taking deep breaths of good air, they ignited their lighsabers and battled their way out of the room, past the droids.

Egan sensed his master creeping towards anger. The strokes he used were done by brute force, not by the soft sweeps and use of the force that he usually did when handling droids.

"Master!" Egan said, getting Qui-Gon's attention. "Don't fight from anger,"

Qui-Gon heard his apprentice, and tried to regain control of his emotions. Once he had grasped hold of them, he was appalled by how he had acted.

"Let's go, Padawan. And, Thanks." Qui-Gon said, running towards the bridge. He stopped that the closed doors.

As he plunged his blade into them, destroyers rolled up.

They were going to have to fight to get out of this one.

* * *

The girl woke up to a white room. A woman sat next to her. When she saw the girl was awake, the woman stood up and moved closer.

"Who... are you?" she asked. The words felt mushy in the girl's mouth. As if she had not talked in a while.

The woman smiled. "My name is Mara. I am Darth Tryphineus, and to you, I am Master."

"Master?" The girl asked unable to keep the confusion out of her voice.

"Yes. You are my apprentice. You are training to be a Sith like me. You were in a terrible crash. It nearly cost your life. I'm glad to see you're okay."

"I hurt everywhere."

"Don't worry, child. The pain will soon go away and you will be able to move about once again."

The girl nodded. Before falling asleep, she had one more question. "Who am I?"

"You are Darth Vanderaka, my apprentice. Sleep now, child. Rest and recover."

* * *

Mara stood up after the child had fallen asleep. She went into her private chambers, telling the doctors to comm her immediately when she woke up again.

She then sent a message to her Master, Darth Sidious. He had recently rebuked the only two rule to an only four rule.

"Master," Mara said, bowing.

"What news do you have?" he asked.

"The girl remembers nothing."

"Goooood. Make her believe she belongs. Even make her a bedroom, so it is as real as possible."

"Yes, Master. The plan is going quite well."

"Indeed," he said, then cut the transmission.

* * *

**How's that for a twist?**

**Sorry for the shortness.**

**Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Another chapter! Yay!!**

**Thanks for the reviews!**

**VSLDT: Haha. You mean the eeny meany miney mo thing? Baha. I'm partial to mo. xD. Have you read Pendragon? It's like some comment he made in the second book. They're superb books by the way, you should read them.**

**Breakaway07: Haha. Thanks? Your reviews are amazing and encourage me to write. Thanks for reviewing! And as for the wait... thanks for understanding, though I am trying to write more... Eh.**

**Disclaimer: Muwahahaha I own it all!!!! ... Not really... I liked the evil laugh, though.**

* * *

Trial By Error

**Chapter 6**

* * *

It had been a month since Vanderaka had lost her memory, and she was relearning things fast. The only real problem had been connecting to the dark side. 

Some things came easy, like she could barely remember select lightsaber forms, but they seemed familiar, in a sense.

Mara hadn't been the least bit kind after the day she woke up in the hospital ward. She pushed Vanderaka to the limit, sometimes forgetting about her slowly healing injuries.

Luckily, both her wrists and leg had healed, though her ribs were still painful. Her back was scarred permanently, and she secretly wondered if it was really an accident that she was in. They didn't look like anything a crash could cause.

But she didn't bring it up.

She was given a lightsaber, but the time had come to construct her own. They were headed towards some planet – Mara had not said – and descending fast.

Vanderaka wondered often if Mara actually trusted her. Mara always seemed hesitant to divulge information, and spoke little about both of their pasts.

Then the small craft jolted.

"What was that?" Mara snapped at the pilot.

"We've been hit! Our shields are down, but nothing is being picked up on our sensors, and the blast sure didn't come from the planet," the pilot spoke quickly.

"SlealthXs," Mara muttered. "Jedi ships. They are extremely new, I had no idea they were flying them yet. They weren't due for the temple for thirty years."

**(A/N: The StealthXs are from the Legacy of the Force series, which is set after the movie saga... but they fit my plot, so sorry!)**

Vanderaka looked through the side veiwport to see a ship on their tail. "Master," she said. Mara came to look.

"Fire upon that ship!" she commanded.

"Yes, ma'am," said the copilot.

"Entering the atmosphere in three... two... one," the pilot said.

"The StealthX is off our tail for the time being," the copilot told Mara.

"Good. Where is it headed?" Mara replied.

"The forest floor,"

"Continue our descent, we won't let that little ship worry us."

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

Obi-Wan sat in the cockpit of his new toy. Or, well, ship. It hadn't even had the right test runs yet, but he had 'borrowed' it from the temple for a while. 

He was able to fire on the ship once before they began to return the fire. He could sense his Padawan aboard the ship, but something felt wrong.

He pulled back and plunged into the atmosphere, pulling past the other ship and landing in a small clearing in the forest.

He got out of his ship and headed for the lightsaber crystal cave. He was sure that was where they were headed. After a whole month, he finally found his Padawan.

It ended up that he underestimated the small ship, and it jumped into hyperspace and shot a couple of systems over, where it joined it's battleship.

That was where Obi-Wan made his mistake. He assumed it had little or no hyper-drive generator.

He hid just inside the cave and masked his presence so the Sith would not feel him in the force.

Just a few minutes later, the Sith entered the cave with his Padawan trailing behind.

"Master, I sense someone in here," Ari spoke. Obi-Wan almost choked. The Sith? Her master? Something was defiantly wrong.

He stepped out of his hiding place, lightsaber ignited. "I've come for my Padawan."

"Ah, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Let Ari go. You're not her master." Obi-Wan looked at Ari and was startled to see coldness and confusion in her eyes.

"Master?" she asked. "Who is that?"

The Sith smirked. "No one of concern."

"Ari? You really don't recognize me?" Obi-Wan asked. This was getting out of hand.

"Where would I know you from?" she asked.

Obi-Wan blinked. "Ari..." he was so preoccupied, he barely noticed the Sith's lightsaber igniting and swinging towards his head.

Vanderaka, following her Master, ignited her lightsaber as well. Obi-Wan stared at it.

The blade was red.

* * *

Qui-Gon and Egan, after rescuing the Queen, were on their way back to Coruscant, when their hyper-drive generator failed. 

They chose Tatooine to stop and refuel and repair the damage, though the captain objected forcefully.

They landed at Mos Eisley and Egan, Jar-Jar and Padme set out for a dealer.

Inside, they met a small boy, a slave. Egan could tell at once he was special, but was unable to haggle a price for him. Knowing they had a greater mission, they headed back with the working parts they had won by betting, Egan knowing if his master knew of the boy, he would want to go back for the boy.

Egan was surprised that his master let him go and get the parts, but was glad. Trust was always a necessity and a Master-Padawan relationship, and Egan felt guilty about not telling his master about the boy. He figured his master had too much to worry about anyways.

Way to much, for when Egan and company returned, he found his master locked in a duel with a black-robed figure.

Egan immediately rushed to help his master, and together they were able to wear down the figure's defenses and slash through his neck, killing him instantly.

Qui-Gon checked the corpse, and found nothing. "I believe he was a Sith. I could feel darkness radiating from him and he was wielding a red lightsaber."

"Do you think this has anything to do with Ari? This was too much coincidence."

"Nothing is coincidental."

"Yes, Master."

* * *

In counsel chambers, the Masters sat, discussing this latest development. 

"If the Sith that attacked Qui-Gon was not the Sith Lord, and the one that kidnapped Ari wasn't either, then what has happened to the rule of two?" Mace Windu asked.

"Know not, I do. Troublesome times, these are. Hope to get Padawan Jinn back, we all do. Know the answer to your question, we do not.

"Possible, could it be, that changed, the rule of two has?" Master Yoda continued.

"How would we not know of it?" One of the less important masters questioned.

"Know everything, we do not. Assume we understand everything, we must not. Lead to our destruction, it will."

Mace Windu changed the subject. "Master Kenobi has yet to report his recent findings, as soon as it comes in, we will know more. For now, Counsel adjourned."

All of the Masters except Yoda stood up to leave. "Sit down, you must. Finished, I am not."

The counsel members sat back down in their respective seats like children in class.

"Darkness is rising, I have foreseen it. But if underestimated it is, destruction of the temple and life as we know it, erased, it will be. If turn a blind eye, we do, truly then, win, the Sith will."

The Masters said nothing, all too disturbed by what the small Master had said. He tapped his gimer stick on the floor. "Leave now, you can."

And with that, the counsel was adjourned.

* * *

**Yay! Three chapters on two days! Go me! ...Not to be egotistic or anything... Haha.**

**Please review!**


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